Headlight systems for motor vehicles which support two operating states suitable for use on the moving vehicle, i.e., full beam and dipped beam, have been known for decades. In the full-beam mode a more widely fanned light beam is emitted, in which not only the carriageway in front of the vehicle but also objects above the carriageway or on the edge of the carriageway are clearly recognizable, which however has the disadvantage that oncoming traffic users are blinded. The dipped beam is essentially aimed only at the carriageway, thereby avoiding blinding the oncoming traffic but restricting recognition of objects that are directly on the carriageway surface.
In order to improve perceptibility of such objects headlight systems have been proposed in later years that additionally support a marker light, i.e., a normally narrowly limited light beam with which objects recorded in the vicinity of the vehicle can be specifically illuminated so as to alert the driver to their presence, or so as to enable him to quickly and reliably identify these objects. The DE 10 2009 035 743 A1 in particular has, for example, revealed a headlight system with a light source and beam-forming apparatus in the form of movable apertures, which permits generation of the main light beam with an essentially horizontal cut-off line and at the same time permits the generation of a marker light beam within a limited azimuth angle range above the cut-off line of the main light beam. One of these apertures comprises a horizontal edge with a notch formed therein, where light incident through the notch forms the marker light. The broader the notch and the marker light beam defined by it, in particular in a vertical direction, the quicker and more reliably the driver can recognize the marked object. It is undesirable for the person misinterprets the marker light beam as a sign of the driver that he/she has been seen and can cross the carriageway.
It is at least one object to indicate a motor vehicle that on the one hand is able to generate a vertically extended marker light beam that enables the driver of the motor vehicle to quickly and reliably perceive an object illuminated by the marker light beam, but which on the other hand limits undesirable effects caused the marker light beam. In addition, other objects, desirable features, and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.